Flotation process



; tion circuit is out of balance, or

5 balsam Ecru.

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PTATENT orrlcef;

HENRY r. Konme, oscAR A FISCHER, EARL r. HAZEVFEY, AND, AUnIsB'. cLAMPIT'r, on DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS TO B. ncnnrmme, JR, AGENT, or SAN FRAN- CISCO, CALIFORNIA. v

No Drawing.

Ourinvention relates to reagentstor use inthe flotation of ores. v

In the flotation of many sulfide ores. the

become involved and costly through the in ability to either float it cleanly from the sulfides or depress it to an extent that'will prevent its contaminatingthe varlous sul- It has alsobee'nfound, in cases, that 'When conditions are satisfactory for the flotation of mica, or'any particular sulfide, the flotadestroyed for the flotation of other sulfides. In this connection,'fwehave discovered several. classes of compounds, or their mlxtufre,"

which permit'not only of regulation of a flotation circuit, but also of better selectivlty. The classes of reagents whereby this regulation and selectivity are obtained are: the resins, gums, the gum resins, and 'the oleo resins. Cited among-the above classes of compounds are: Canada balsam, Peru balsam, tolu balsam, benzoin, copal, s andara,

' guaiacum, ammoniacum, gamboge;jgum dextrin, gum arabic, myrrh, tragacanth, etc.

'WVe have-found that some individual gums,

etc. Work better than others, While some mixtures work better than the individual gums,

gum resins or balsams. Our best results'thus far have been obtained flQI11.gL1II1 '2.13.b1C, yrrh, dextrin, tragacanth, benzoln, and

For want of a more appropriate term to identify this class of sense hereby indicated, and thatany interpretationof the term which is inappropriate coI'1strui-n'g the claims.

FLOTATION rnocnss compounds, be obtainedfand better'recoveries effected.

gums, resins, gum I'e-l sins, oleo resins, adhesives, etc., described herein,'the term gummy adhesive? is used. It i s'tobe understood, however, that this termJgummy adhesive is used in the special Application. filed September 21, 927. serial No. 221,136.

WVater or alcoholic \solutions ofthe af or e said compounds, or mixtures thereof, when added with the usual flotation oils and reagents, to a. flotation-circuit at the stages desired-,will permit theoperator to-control theflotation at these stages. the selectivity and regulation In addition to lent by these higher grade concentrates can In order to more clearly show the effectiveness of those reagents,' a few examples may An ore assaying 1.5% copper; 2.5% zinc: 18% insoluble; 25% iron; 26% sulfur, Was ground in a ball mill with lime (1 lb. per ton of ore) and floated. for copper, using. 0.05

lb s.'pine oil per ton of ore and 0.2 lbs. sodium After removal of.

Xanthate per ton of ore. the copper float, 0.75 lbs.copper sulfate, 0.5 lbs. lime, 0.1 lbs. cresylic acid, and 0.1 lbs. sodium Xanthate were added and the zinc floated ofi. This 4 practice on this ore, and the products obtained assayed as follows Copper Zinc Insoluble f Per cent Per cent Per cent I Cppper poncentrates; 10. 5 5.0 21. 1

Zinc concentrates 1. 55 14. 2 12.0 Tallings 9 0. 4 0.6 14. 9

The ab o e float was duplicated, adding 1.5 lbs. gum arabic per'ton ofore, prior to the copper float, and 0.5 lbs. of gum arabic, and only 0.05

lbs. sodium Kant-hate per ton of ore, to the zinc float, other conditionsbeing the same. v

Copper Zinc Insoluble Per cent Per cent Per cent Cppper concentrates 13.8 2.8 2.0 Z1n c concentrates 1. 8 33. 1 1. 3 Tafl ngs 0.35 0.5 15.5

By using'the same reagents and as above, and increasing the alkalinity, the ingum arabic,

Was heretofore the best 1 soluble was floated oflleaving most ofthe'sulreagents an additional reagent containing a fides behind for subsequent separation. The gummy adhesive.

analysis of this insoluble (mostly mica) was:

Insoluble 85 Iron 4:.0 Copper 0.25 Zinc 0.3

An attempt tofloat the insoluble under the same conditions as cited above, but without tihe use of, gum arabic, gave the following oat:

Per cent. Insoluble a 65 Iron 5.6 Copper Q. 0.85 Zinc 1.2

float, and subsequently adding. the usual flotation-oils the valuable sulfide sought is floated' in preference to the iron. If the insoluble -is not floated off before the copper and zinc, it can be depressed by gum arabio and acid, and -the iron floated oif leaving practically all of the insoluble intlie residue: Conditions of alkali-nity'and acidity together with quantities of the gums, gum resins, resins and oleo resins added govern the flotation of the various sulfide minerals and micaceoi s insoluble. In cases of over oiling or addition of excessive amounts of reagents the Circuit can be readjusted and regulated by addition of solutions or mixtures of solutions of various gums, 'gum resins, oleo resins and balsams, in quantities varying from 0.1 lbs. to 5 lbs. of the dissolved gums, gum' resins, oleo resins or I balsams, or mixtures therof, to the ton of ore.

Due to the varying characteristics of ores, it will be appreciated that the particular composition or conditions will vary; but the selection of the composition or conditions can be readily determined by those skilled in the art.

''What we claim, is:

1. In a process of froth flotation of pulp using the known froth flotation reagents, the

step of controlling the activity of the froth- I flotation reagents and'controlling the flotation of micaceous matter which consists in adding controlled quantities of a reagent containing a gummy adhesive to the circuit, and

subsequently adding further quantities of 3 known frothflotation reagents to the circuit. 2. In a process .of froth flotation of pulp containing miscaceous minerals using known froth flotation reagents, the step of controllingthe flotation characteristics of the miscaceous matter which comprises adding to the circuit containing the known flotation In test Per cent tures' imony whereof, we aflix our signa- HENRY T. KOENIG. OSCAR A. FISCHER. AUDIS B. GLAMPITT.

EARL F. H'AFFEY. 

